I'd like to publicly thank the person who came up with the idea of the public library. It was a brilliant idea then, but it's an even better idea now that there are so many other things besides books that it makes sense to borrow rather than buy. I've heard of public libraries that lend framed artwork, birthday cake pans, movies on DVD, and music on CDs. Possibly the most underrated and overlooked source on earth, your local public library is a place you need to check out soon.

FREE MOVIES. If you love to watch movies but don't want to pay to rent them or to go to the movie theater, check out your local library. Our library district orders newly released movies on DVD that can be checked out for seven days. When there is a new movie coming out that we want to see, I go to the library's Web site and place a hold on that movie. -- Lori K., e-mail

COFFEE STAINS. To remove coffee stains in a thermos, place a teaspoon of baking soda in the bottom of the thermos, and fill it with water. The thermos will be clean and odor-free. -- L.P., e-mail

SUGAR SAVER. Buy brown sugar when it is on sale, and then store it in your freezer in its plastic sack to keep it fresh and soft for future use. We left a bag in the freezer all winter at our cabin and recently used it to bake a batch of cookies. It was unchanged and did not need to be softened. -- Pat, Colorado

ANT SPRAY. I keep a spray bottle of diluted dishwashing soap around to kill aphids on my roses and ants in the yard. It's safe to use around kids, pets and the wildlife you like. Just a teaspoon of dishwashing soap in a quart of water seems to do the trick. -- Michele S., Oregon

SWEATER PROTECTOR. To avoid "bumps" in my sweaters when I put them on hangers, I poke a hole through the middle of a sheet of Bubble Wrap and place a hanger through the hole. I then secure the bottom and edges of the Bubble Wrap together with packing tape. I hang my sweaters, cotton T-shirts and polo shirts on these, especially if they have to air-dry after being washed. -- Jane, e-mail

WASHING STUFFED ANIMALS. When washing stuffed animals, I used to place them in pillowcases, knot the ends, pin the knots down, and then throw them in the washing machine and the dryer, as well. The animals came out smelling fresh and looking great, but if they fell out of the pillowcases during the process, their fur would be frizzed. One day, I discovered zippered pillow protectors. They work even better because the animals never fall out. Pillow protectors are available in the same area of stores where you find sheets and pillowcases, and they are quite inexpensive. -- Shannon, North Carolina

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.